BENGALURU: Brass at Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is pushing for a change in the way it recruits personnel after it realised that scores of non-technical personnel — drivers, typists, and water inspectors among others — were deputed as junior engineers on a temporary basis over the past few years.
Currently, 90% of posts are filled through direct recruitment and the remaining through promotions. The board wants to change it to a 67:33 (67 % direct recruitment) ratio.
“This will help a lot of people working in the department with qualifications to scale up,” N Jayaram, BWSSB chairman said. The proposed change will also remove ambiguity related to filling posts, especially those of junior engineers, through internal promotions and direct recruitment.
TOI had raised the issue of nonqualified personnel being deputed as junior engineers with Jayaram, who immediately responded by sending back such non-qualified and out-of-turn promotees to their original cadre and posts.
Rescind deputation
In a memorandum issued by Veena R, the board’s chief administrative officer (CAO) and secretary on August 18, engineering chiefs were directed to immediately rescind deputation of non-technical personnel as junior engineers that were done internally without the chair man’s approval.
In another order on the same day, temporary deputation of five water inspectors, a senior assistant, a typist, and a driver were cancelled by the CAO herself.
A day prior to the memo being issued, TOI had raised the curious case of a driver being temporarily deputed as junior engineer, foregoing his promotion as a senior driver. “How can drivers be given executive posts? This is totally wrong,” Jayaram had said.
It was learnt that the driver’s temporary deputation was not unique; several other drivers and non-technical personnel had been deputed to executive posts over the years. BWSSB sources attributed the move to a shortage of junior engineers.
The driver, identified as Manjunath, gave a representation to the BWSSB that he would like to forego his due promotion as senior driver owing to ill-health and would like to continue as junior engineer (incharge) in his current place of posting. The CAO accepted the representation and issued an order to that effect on August 11, 2023.
Veena told TOI, “We went by the existing rules. Drivers possessing requisite qualification were promoted based on the 10% promotion from the ministerial cadre staff (Group-C). We accepted the request and allowed him to continue as in-charge junior engineer in the same place.”
Jayaram later told TOI that all non-technical personnel who have been deputed in technical posts will be sent back to their original posts.
Currently, 90% of posts are filled through direct recruitment and the remaining through promotions. The board wants to change it to a 67:33 (67 % direct recruitment) ratio.
“This will help a lot of people working in the department with qualifications to scale up,” N Jayaram, BWSSB chairman said. The proposed change will also remove ambiguity related to filling posts, especially those of junior engineers, through internal promotions and direct recruitment.
TOI had raised the issue of nonqualified personnel being deputed as junior engineers with Jayaram, who immediately responded by sending back such non-qualified and out-of-turn promotees to their original cadre and posts.
Rescind deputation
In a memorandum issued by Veena R, the board’s chief administrative officer (CAO) and secretary on August 18, engineering chiefs were directed to immediately rescind deputation of non-technical personnel as junior engineers that were done internally without the chair man’s approval.
In another order on the same day, temporary deputation of five water inspectors, a senior assistant, a typist, and a driver were cancelled by the CAO herself.
A day prior to the memo being issued, TOI had raised the curious case of a driver being temporarily deputed as junior engineer, foregoing his promotion as a senior driver. “How can drivers be given executive posts? This is totally wrong,” Jayaram had said.
It was learnt that the driver’s temporary deputation was not unique; several other drivers and non-technical personnel had been deputed to executive posts over the years. BWSSB sources attributed the move to a shortage of junior engineers.
The driver, identified as Manjunath, gave a representation to the BWSSB that he would like to forego his due promotion as senior driver owing to ill-health and would like to continue as junior engineer (incharge) in his current place of posting. The CAO accepted the representation and issued an order to that effect on August 11, 2023.
Veena told TOI, “We went by the existing rules. Drivers possessing requisite qualification were promoted based on the 10% promotion from the ministerial cadre staff (Group-C). We accepted the request and allowed him to continue as in-charge junior engineer in the same place.”
Jayaram later told TOI that all non-technical personnel who have been deputed in technical posts will be sent back to their original posts.